Yorktown, VA

[Rebels from Yorktown Sunday morning by Alfred R. Waud - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): April 5-May 4, 1862

Campaign(s): Peninsula Campaign [March-September 1862]

Battles in Campaign:

• Hampton Roads, VA - March 8-9, 1862 B

• Yorktown, VA - April 5-May 4, 1862 B

• Williamsburg, VA - May 5, 1862 B

• Eltham's Landing, VA - May 7, 1862 D¹

• Drewry's Bluff, VA - May 15, 1862 B

• Hanover Courthouse, VA - June 30, 1863 C¹

• Seven Pines, VA - May 31-June 1, 1862 B

• Oak Grove, VA - June 25, 1862 D¹

• Beaver Dam Creek, VA - June 26, 1862 B

• Gaines' Mill, VA - June 27, 1862 A

• Garnetts & Goldings Farm, VA - June 27-28, 1862 D¹

• Savage's Station, VA - June 29, 1862 C¹

• White Oak Swamp, VA - June 30, 1862 C¹

• Glendale, VA - June 30, 1862 B

• Malvern Hill, VA - July 1, 1862 A

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan

• Confederate: Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston

Principal Forces: Armies

• Union:

• Confederate:

Description:

• Marching from Fort Monroe, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s army encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder’s small Confederate army at Yorktown behind the Warwick River. 

• Magruder’s theatrics convinced the Federals that his works were strongly held. McClellan suspended the march up the Peninsula toward Richmond, ordered the construction of siege fortifications, and brought his heavy siege guns to the front.

• In the meantime, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston brought reinforcements for Magruder.

• On 16 April, Union forces probed a weakness in the Confederate line at Lee’s Mill or Dam No. 1, resulting in about 309 casualties. 

• Failure to exploit the initial success of this attack, however, held up McClellan for two additional weeks, while he tried to convince his navy to maneuver the Confederates’ big guns at Yorktown and Gloucester Point and ascend the York River to West Point thus outflanking the Warwick Line.

• McClellan planned for a massive bombardment to begin at dawn on May 4, but the Confederate army slipped away in the night toward Williamsburg.

Photo Gallery:²

		Yorktown National Cemetery	Yorktown National Cemetery
Bivouac of the Dead
	Moore House	Moore House	Yorktown Waterfront
Yorktown Waterfront	Yorktown Waterfront	Union trenches	Union trenches
Union trenches

Classification³: B

Casualties⁴: 320

• Union:

• Confederate:

Results: Inconclusive

Battlefield Websites:

• Battle of Yorktown - Wikipedia

• Civil War Yorktown - National Park Service

• Yorktown - Son of the South

• The Peninsula Campaign - HistoryAnimated.com

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁴ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 01/28/2011